Jewelry



; Oct. 17, 1950 c. s. SCHOOLMAN ET AL JEWELRY Filed Oct. 14, 1946 gvwmvtoms of the entire pinna of Patented Oct. 17, 1950 JEWELRY l Carol S. Schoolman and Ira'schoolman,

Los Angeles, Calif.

Application October 14, 1946, Serial No. 703,146 1 Claim. (Cl. 63-14) This invention is an ornament for the human ear and more particularly relates to an ornamental plate-like body designed to be mounted in a position to substantially overlie the entire pinna portion of the human ear.

One object of the invention is to provide an ear ornament in the form of a plate-like body dimensioned and contoured substantially to overlie and conceal the entire pinna portion of the human ear.

A further object of the invention is to provide in connection with an ornament of the type described, means for readily attaching and detaching the same with respect to thehuman ear.

. .A further object of the invention is to provide for an ear ornament of the general size and shape the human ear, means to supportingly engage the ear at points above and below the auditory canal of the ear.

A further object of the invention is to provide a plate-like ornament for the ear dimensioned and contoured to conform to the general shape of the pinna of the human ear, and provided with means for embracing the forward edge of the helix portion of the pinna, together with means disposed behind the pinna and above the wall of the auditory canal.

These and other objects will become apparent from a consideration of the attached specification wherein a preferred form of the invention is described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the invention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the invention. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the invention as viewed from the rear edge thereof.

Fig. 4 is a detailed view of the lobe engaging securing means, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of attached to the ear of the wearer.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals are the ornament used to designate like parts, the invention com' prises a plate-like body indicated generally by the reference character l which is dimensioned and contoured substantially to conform to the size and shape of the ear of the wearer. To this end the ornamental plate-like body I has a rear curved edge portion Idesigned to conform generally to the outline of the pinna of the human ear. At the lower portion of the plate there is provided an enlarged ornamental figure 3 designed generally to lobe portion of the generally more or less reticulate as ear. The plate-like body I is shown by the wardly about the front edge coincide with and overlie the 6 of the plate-like body I is openings 4- 4, in order to maintain free access of sound waves to the auditory canal. Generally,

although not necessarily, the plate-like body i includes solid portions 5 which overlie the en-, trance to the auditory canal of the ear of the wearer. As previously indicated the plate-like body I' is dimensioned and contoured to overlie and conform generally to the pinna of the human ear. To this end there is an upper portion 6 provided, which on the wearer lies above the wall of the auditory canal. To this portion attached a resilient hook member indicated generally at l and including a portion 8 adapted to pass around the front edge of the helix portion of the-pinna of the ear. The hook I also includes a terminal portion 9 which, when the ornament is mounted upon the human ear, lies behind the upper portion of the pinna and above the exterior wall of the auditory canal. As stated, the hook member I is resilient so that the terminal portion 9 may be bent into frictional clamping engagement with the rear surface of the pinna portion of the ear to maintain the plate-like body 5 in position upon the ear.

In order further to maintain the ornament in place upon the car, a frictional clamp member If] such as indicated in Figs. 2 and 4 is provided at a point near the lower edge of the plate and behind that portion of the plate occupiedby the ornament 3. Generally, the clamping device [0 is pivotally attached to suitable lugs II carried by the plate and includes a spring tongue for maintaining suitable clamping bias on the clamp to retain it in frictional engagement with the lobe of the ear of the wearer.

In mounting the ornament upon the ear of the wearer, the spring hook member I is passed rearof the helix portion of the ear with said forward portion of the ear substantially in engagement with the portion 8 of the hook and the terminal portion 9 thereof overlying the outer wall of the auditory canal. The clamp member If] is then opened and the lobe of the ear passed between the back of the plate and said spring clamp Ill, whereupon, when the clamp is released, the lobe of the ear is frictionally engaged between the plate and the clamp. By thus securing the ornament to the ear at points above and below the auditory canal, the outer edge of the plate is maintained in substantial alignmentwith the contour of the pinna of the ear with the entrance to the auditory canal substantially concealed by the ornamental figures 5 of the plate and with the lobe of the ear substantially concealed by the enlarged portion 3 in the lower portion of the plate.

As thus described it is apparent that we have provided an ear ornament in the form of a plate substantially of the size and configuration as the pinna of the human ear together with means for readily attaching and detaching the ornament with respect to the ear and which ornament, when mounted upon the ear will substantially conceal the entrance to the auditory canal and the lobe of the ear. It is to be understood that while we have described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention, we reserve the right to make such minor changes in size and proportion of parts as clearly fall within the spirit of the invention, as set forth more particularly in the appended claim.

What we claim as new is:

An ornament for the human ear comprising an ornamental reticulate plate-like member dimensioned and contoured to conform generally with the pinna of the ear of the wearer and means to retain said plate-like member in position upon a human ear including a resilient wire-like hook member attached to the upper forward edge of the plate-like body member with the opening of the hook directed rearwardly to receive the forward edge of the helix portion of the pinna of the ear, said hook member including a terminal portion adapted to lie behind and frictionally clamp the pinna and additional retaining means in the form of a clamp member carried by the back side of the plate-like member adjacent its lower edge to be hidden thereby and positioned to frictionally grip the lobe of the ear of the wearer.

CAROL S. SCI-IO'OLMAN.

IRA SCHOOLMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 236,935 Claude Jan. 25, 1881 1,619,772 Thompson Mar. 1, 1927 2,414,382 McCann Jan. 14, 1947 2,453,485 Axtell Nov. 9, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 301,597 Italy Oct 7, 1932 582,658 Great Britain May 18, 1945 

